Are We There Yet?

If a close friend, someone you knew and trusted, came to you filled with excitement and wonder and told you a fantastic tale, would you believe without seeing for yourself?

Now it was Mary Magdalene, Joanna, Mary the mother of James, and the other women with them who told this to the apostles.  But these words seemed to them an idle tale, and they did not believe them.  But Peter got up and ran to the tomb; stooping and looking in, he saw the linen cloths by themselves; then he went home, amazed at what had happened. - Luke 24:10-12

There is a big difference between being a follower of one's teaching and being a believer in something greater.  This was the challenge for the disciples and all the followers of the Rabbi, the teacher they knew as Joshua or Jesus.

While Jesus had told them that he would be raised again after death, they didn't expect it to really happen.  If it did happen, what would it mean?  How could someone die and come back?

Even today, we have doubts and try to work out scenarios that make sense to us, given what we know or think we know about the laws of nature.

The gap between follower and believer is not a line, but a deep chasm that some of us, even though we say we are Christians, don't want to cross.

What does that mean?  Can we be Christians and not believe Jesus is one with the Father and the Holy Spirit?

You could argue that Peter and the others had no idea what all that meant.  The concept of a Trinity was formed much later, so we can take comfort in the fact that uncertainty and disbelief were present among the very followers who lived with Jesus for so long.

Why sweat the small stuff?

I like to listen to a Christian rock radio station from time to time.  The songs remind me of retreat weekends I have been on, memories of moments when I felt very close to other Christians and to God in a variety of ways.

The presence of the Spirit was great on those weekends, not the whole time, but at particular moments during prayer, during reflection, during fellowship.

It can be addictive in a way, and that draw to re-experience the special closeness is what leads calls me back.

But the songs can be overpowering at times and the message can be too much, with the driving beat and the rising volume and tempo leading to feet-stomping, arm raising jubilation.

I wonder if that head-pounding joy is just a bit too much for most people, especially those struggling with their faith.

In a very real way, we are all like Peter in today's lesson, living somewhere between here and there, wanting to believe and needing to experience the revelation ourselves.

We tend to think of Thomas when we hear the word, doubt, but all of the disciples failed to believe on the words of the women alone.  But Peter did something about it.  He ran to the tomb to see what they saw.

Isn't our personal journey in faith a lot like that?  Don'e we come to faith by hearing, then running to see for ourselves, to try to experience something personal and real?

I don't think we get that in church, at least not too often, or not often enough.

Because we are so accustomed to the routine of our traditions, we manage to endure the service, rather than experience anything at all like the faith-changing and enlightening discovery that Peter felt at the tomb.

This is the week that we should be feeling closest to God.  We should be filled with awe and wonder at all the possibilities of living a life filled with the Spirit, empowered by the Spirit and propelled forward in the love of God.

Are we there yet?

NO!

In the coming weeks, we will experience the great commission of the disciples to go into the world and share this amazing grace, and Christian ministers and pastors will be all fired up, thinking the message they will share with their congregations will light up the world.

Will it?

What does it mean for me?

That's the question I will try to answer in the coming days, weeks, months.  Can I explain my faith to someone else?  Can I truly understand the words I recite every Sunday in the Creed?

If I can pot the gospel into my own words and share it, confident in mind, body and soul, then, and only then, will I be living the gospel message.

Let's take that journey together and see how we do.

More to come...


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